Hot-air engine or power-generator.



No. 747,316. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

F. BURGER. HOT AIR ENGINE 0R POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16. 1901.

up MODEL.

SHEETS-SHEET 1. Q 0

' No. 747,316. PATENTEDHDEC. 15 1903.

P. BURGER. HOT AIR ENGINE OR POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 15. 1901. N0 MODEL.

THE NORRIS PETERS co, PnoToLn'HQ. WASHINGTON, n c.

Witneaoco No. 747,316. I PATENTED DEO.'15,.1903.-'

P. BURGER, H01 AIR ENGINE 0R POWER GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. 1901; no xonm s sums-sun a.

m: "cams PETERS co PNmo-umo. WASNINGYON4 D c UNITED STATES PatentedDecember 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OFTHREE-FOURTHS TO HENRYM. WILLIAMS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IHOT-AIUR ENGINE OR POWER- o EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 747,316, dated December15, 1903.

' Application filed February 15 1901. Serial No. 47,474- (No model.)

To all'whom 7125 may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANZ BURGER,a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot-Air Engines orPower-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to high-pressure hotair enginesor'power-generators; and it has for its object to improve this class ofengines or power-generators; and to these ends myinvention consists inthe various features of construction'and arrangement of parts having thegeneral mode of operation substantially as hereinafter more particularlyset forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated apreferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a horizon- 2o talsectional plan of the engine and generator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,partly in vertical section, of the engine and generator. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of the generator, showing more particularly theregulating-ring and connections. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly insection, of the generator, showing the regulating-ring and mechanism foroperating the 7 same. Figs. 5 and 6 are part cross-sections of Figs. 3and 4, showing the regulating-ring in difiereut positions; and Fig. 7 isa side view, partly in section, showing the eccentric and connectionsfor operating the inlet-valve. Among the principal objects of my presentinvention one is to provide a hot-air engine or power-generator of thisparticular class in which the air can be used at a relatively hightemperature and pressure and higher than has been practicable up to thepresent time. Another object is to avoid the loss of power resultingfrom the ordinary methods of utilizing the heat energy of fuel inhot-air engines and, further, to provide a power-generator which iscapable of containing a large amount of fuel at one time, so that theen- 5 gine is enabled to run continuously for a relativelylong period oftime without the necessityof being recharged or furnished with a freshsupply of fuel. These objects thus generally stated, and others whichwill appear from the description hereinafter, are attained by the use ofan improved generator or engine embodying the general features ofconstruction and having the general mode ofoperation substantially ashereinafter described.

Upon a suitable base'A are mounted two cylinders, one being thepower-cylinder B and the other the air-compressing cylinder 0. Thepower-cylinder B is provided with a working piston. D, to which isattached the connecting-rod E, mounted on the crank-shaft F, which isarranged and supported in the pillow-blocks G, connected with the baseA, and this crank-shaft is connected to or provided with suitable meansfor supplying power, as a fly-wheel or belt wheel or pulley. Connectedwith the crank-shaft and driven thereby is some suitable means ofoperating the piston K of the air-compressing cylinder O, and in thepresent instance Ihaye shown a connecting-rod J, attached to the pistonK 7c and to a disk crank H on the crank-shaft. The crank-pin H of thisdisk crankis. preferably arranged in such relation that it is aboutninety degrees behind the'power crankpin F, although the exact relationof these two cranks is not material to my invention.

It is of course desirable in an engine of this character to keep thecylinders cool, and the cylinders B and C in the present instance aresurrounded by water-jackets L L, L being common to both cylinders, andthese jackets may be supplied with water or other liquid in any of theordinary ways well understood bythose skilled in the art and not shownherein.

The power-cylinder B is in the present instance provided with anextension M, which extends beyond the working point of the piston D andis larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the power-cylinder.This extension is provided with some heat resisting and retainingmaterial, and in the present instance it is fitted with a lining orbushing N, of plumbago. The piston .D'is also provided with an extensionin the form of a piston O, working within the lining or bushing in theextension M of the power-cylinder, and this extended piston is also madeof some'h'eat resisting and retaining material,as plumbago, and it isattached so as to move with the pis- I00 ton D, and it may be attachedin any suitable manner, as by the rod or bolt O'.- The outer end of theextension M is also preferably provided with a similar lining orbushing, as the plumbago ring Q, which ring has a central opening R,corresponding with the inlet-opening in the cylinder-head P.

Connected to the cylinder-head P is a valvecasing S for theadmission-valve T, and connected to the.casing S is a supply-pipe U,which may be provided with a suitable cutoff valve V and which isconnected to the generator W.

The air-compressing cylinder 0 of the airpump may be variouslyconstructed; but, as shown, it is provided with a head X, to which isattached a valve-casing 1, having in this instance a partition 2, and inone part of the casing is placed a suction-valve 3, connected with theair-inlet portion of the valve, and in the other a pressure-valve 4,through which the compressed air from the cylinder 0 passes and thenceflows through the pipe 5 to the generator W.

The generator W may .be variously constructed; but, as before intimated,in order to attain the objects of myinvention itis desirable to providea generator which is capable of holding a large amount of fuel and whichshall utilize the heat to the best advantage and which shall bepractically self-regulating or automatic in its operation, and in thepresent instance I have shown the generator as composed of two shells,one within the other and with an annular space between them, the ends ofthe cylinders being closed by suitable heads. Thus in the presentinstance there is an annular space 6 between the inner shell 7 and theouter shell 7, and this space is divided about midway of the generator,the outer shell 7 being enlarged, so as to form an annular space, andthis may be accomplished by means of an annular casing 9, as shown.Mounted in this enlarged casing and extending from the inner casing tothe outer is a ring 8, having in its face a number of perforations, as14, and the inner shell 7* is also provided with a number ofperforations, as 13, above the plane of the perforated ring 8. Somesuitable means is provided for controlling these perforations and thepassage of air therethrough, and in the present instance I have shown anangle-shaped ring 10, provided with a number of perforations 11, whichmay register with the perforations 13 in the inner shell 7, and is alsoprovided with a number of perforations 12, which may register with theperforations 14 in the stationary partition or perforated ring 8. Thenumber of perforations 14in the partition-ring 8 is in the presentinstance double the number of those in the movable ring 10, the purposeof which will appear later.

The inner shell 7 of the generator is preferably protected from beingburned or injured by the high temperatures produced therein, and in thepresent instance I have shown it as provided with a lining 7 offirebrick or similar refractory material, and I preferably extend thislining throughout the inner body and top portions of the inner shell ofthe generator. Mounted in the generator is a suitable grate 15, andbelow this in the shell are the perforations 16, communicating with theinner space 6 between the two shells, and connected with the ash-pitbelow the grate is an ash-door 17, which while it may be of any suitableconstruction is held air-tight against the generatorin the presentinstance by a screw 18in the stirrup 19. The top of the generator isprovided with a charging-door, as 22, and this is held by a stirrup 20and screw 21.

The ring 10 acts as a regulator or controller for the compressed air inthe space 6, and the admission of this air into the generator iscontrolled by this ring, and it may be admitted above the fuel in thegenerator or below it, or both, and the ring 10 may be operated by handor other suitable means; but I preferably provide automatic means foraccomplishing this result. In the present instance I have shown aportion of the edge of the ring formed into a rack 23, with whichengages a pinion 24, mounted on a shaft 25, supported in a bearing orbushing 26 and having on its outer end a pinion 27, which meshes with arack 28, connected in the present instance at its lower end to thepiston 29, working in a cylinder 30. The upper end of the cylinder 30 isclosed, as by a screw-cap 31, and inside of the cylinder between theupper portion of the piston and cap is placed a spring, (shown as aspiral spring 32,) which tends to force the piston down in the cylinder.The lower portion of the cylinder in the present instance is fastened toa bracket 33, which becomes a cylinder-head and into which enters a pipe34, the other end of which is connected with the annular space 6 abovethe regulating-ring. It will thus be seen that the position of thepiston 29 is automatically controlled by the pressure of the air in theair-space 6, and the piston is moved up under such pressure and againstthe pressure of the spring 32, so that the ring or regulating device isautomatically controlled thereby.

The air-inlet valve of the power-cylinder B may be variously controlled;but I have shown a forked lever 35, located within the valve-casing S,which is connected with a lever 36 outside the valve-casing, and thislever in the present instance is connected, by means of aball-and-socket joint 37, with an eccentric-rod 38. To operate this rod,there is an eccentric 39 mounted on the crankshaft F, and embracing theeccentric 39 is a strap 40, having a tailpiece provided with acylindrical horizontal boring 41, in which is mounted a spring 42 andwhich receives the collar 43 of the rod 38, and the boring is closed bya cap 44, havingacentral opening, through which the rod 38 passes. Theeccentric is provided With an extending arm 45, which in the presentinstance is pivoted to one of thespokes of the fly-wheel46, mounted onthe shaft F, adjacent to the eccentric. The eccentric is also providedwith an elongated boring 47, through which the crankshaft passes andwhich allows the changing of the stroke of the eccentric, and this isaccomplished by a lever 49, having a fulcrum on one of the spokes of thewheel 46, one end of which lever is provided with a link 50, attached toa lug 51, on the side of the eccentric 39, while the other end of thelever is provided with an adjustable weight 4S, and the lever is alsounder the tension of a spring 52, tending to counteract the centrifugalforce of the weight on the lever. It is evident that as the crank-shaftrevolves, and with it the fly-wheel, the governing-weight 48 will tendto fly outward by centrifugalforc'e, and this is counteracted by thespring 52, and between these two forces the lever 49 is controlled andmovesthe eccentric so as to bring the crankshaft F in differentpositionsor relations to the bearing-surfaces of the boring 47.

The power-cylinder is provided with an exhaust-valve of any suitablecharacter, and in the present instance such valve 53 is shown ascontrolled by a crank 54, worked by a rod 55, hearing on a cam-roller 56on a cam on the hub of the disk crank H.

Such being thegeneral construction and arrangement of the parts, theoperation of the engine will be largelyunderstood from what has beenstated heretofore.

In order to start the engine, the upper door 22 of the generator isopened and fuel is introduced into the interior of the generator, andwhen the combustion of this fuel has been started more fuel isintroduced until the combustibles reach nearly to the centralperforations 13, and the door 22 istightly closed. Air is now let intothe annular space 6 between the two shells of the generator, and in thecase of a large engine this air may be introduced from a reservoircontaining air under pressure; but in small engines a few revolutions ofthe flywheel will be sufficient to furnish the required amount of airunder pressure to start the engine. Normally the regulating-ring will bein a position to permit the passage of the air through the openings 12,so that it passes down under the grate, entering the ash-chamber throughthe perforations 16, and passes up through the fuel and is heated. Thisof course causes an increased combustion and heats the air to arelatively high temperature, and it passes out of the generator Wthrough the pipeU to the valve-casing S, and from there its passage intothe powercylinder B is controlled by the valve T, and it impartsmotion'to the piston D and thence passes through the connection with thecrankshaft F, and this in turn operates the piston K of theair-compressing cylinder or pump 0,

, which maintains the supply of air in the generator.

As the pressure of the air in the gen- .bles. "will operate to cut offthe flow of all theair which operates the piston 29 and through itslconnections moves the regulatingring'10 so that the perforations 11correspond to a greater or less extent with the perforations 13 in thegenerator, and the perforations 12 correspond to a greateror less extentwith the perforations 14, and part of the air passes :through theperforations 16 into the ashchamber through the cornbustibles andpartpasses into the generator above the combusti- A further adjustmentof the ring 10 below the grate and cause all the air to pass the airthrough the combustibles or part ithrough the combustibles and partabove them or all of the air above the com bustibles, and in the presentinstance this regulation depends upon the pressure of the air in thegenerator.

The valve T is operated by .what may be termed the shaft-governor,comprising the eccentric 39 and its connections, and according to thespeed of --rotation of the fly-wheel will the valve T be operated, so asto be open for a shorter or longer time and admit more orless of thecompressed air into the cylin der B.

It will be seen that by the construction described when the valve T hasseated to close the same the eccentric has not yet completed its strokeand that the collar 43 on the rod 38 will compress the spring 42 duringthe time the eccentric completes its stroke in one direction. When goingout, the collar comes in contact with the cap 44, and thus the rod 38 ismoved to open the valve. The time during which the valve is opendepends,of course, upon the position of the eccentric with relation tothe shaft F, and this is determined by the governor device described ina manner well understood.

With the construction above described I am enabled to operate the engineunder a high temperature, and as an instance I may mention from 1,500 to2,000 Fahrenheit, although, of course, the temperature in thepower-cylinder will fall more or less from the temperature of the air inthe generator. By constructing the power-cylinder B with an extension Mand providing it with a bushing or heat resisting and retaining materialair at a relatively high temperature can be used, and at the same timethe cylinder can be maintained at a desirable temperature andcomparatively little heat will reach the piston proper of thepower-cylinder. Furthermore, as above intimated, it is desirable toprovide a generator of a size that will receive a considerable amount ofcombustible material which will last quite a number of hours, so thatthegenerator need not be opened to replenish the material for aconsiderable time,

and the arrangement shown meets this requirement. It is also evidentthat the forcing of the air through the fuel or combustible will resultin some ashes or products of combustion being mixed with the compressedair; but I have found it unnecessary to attempt to separate the ashesand permit them to flow into the cylinder. They can be blown out throughthe exhaust-valve with the exhaustair without serious detriment to theoperation of the engine.

What I claim is 1. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator, comprising aninner and an outer shell having an annular space between them to receivethe air to be heated and communicating with the interior of the innershell through openings in two different planes, a perforated partitionin the annular space between the planes of said openings, and means forcontrolling the flow of air through the perforations in said partitionand the openings in the plane above it, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator, comprising an inner and anouter shell having an annular space between them to receive the air tobe heated and communicating with the interior of the inner shell throughopenings in two diiferent planes, a perforated partition in the annularspace between the planes of said openings, and means automaticallyoperated by pressure of air in said annular space for controlling theflow of air through the perforations in said partition and the openingsin the plane above it, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and anouter shell havand a valve seated on said ring controlling the flow ofair from the space between the shells into the inner shell,substantially as described.

4. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and anouter shell having an annular space between them to receive the air tobe heated,-a perforated ring dividing the space between the shells,perforations in the inner shell below and above the fuel-space therein,a valve having openings controlling the perforations in the ring and inthe inner shell, and means for automatically operating the valve,substantially as described.

5. In a hot-air engine, a heat-generator comprising an inner and anouter shell having an annular space between them to receive the air tobe heated, a perforated ring dividing the space between the shells, anangleshaped ring controlling the perforations through the ring and inthe inner shell, a rack and pinion connected to operate the angleshapedring, and a cylinder and piston for operating the rack and pinion andconnected to be operated by the variations of pressure in the innershell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. CRANE, GEO. K. TORRENCE.

